It is well documented that Chivas owner, Jorge Vergara thinks that his Guadalajara is at a disadvantage when it comes to the local transfer market. Since Chivas only fields nationals, he believes other teams artificially inflate the market value of those players that Chivas are targeting. The Chivas mark-up, if you will.

Instead of taking a bath in this seller’s market, Vergara opted to invest heavily in the Chivas’ youth ranks. A lot of academy graduates have made their professional debuts over the past few years. It’s hard to say that the process has been modestly successful when one of the youth products is scoring goals at Old Trafford, but Chicharito wasn’t around long enough to win anything with the Sacred Flock. And it’s been 5 years since Chivas have lifted a trophy.

That might be changing… very quickly.

Chivas fielded 10 home-grown players in their 3-0 thumping of Club America as Omnilife Stadium hosted its first Super Clasico. 18 year –old Erick “el cubo” Torres became the first player to score in his clasico debut since 1996. 2nd half substitute, Marco Fabian added a brace to finish off their arch-rivals. The young duo has combined to score 10 of Chivas’ 17 goals this season.

After a sluggish start to the Clausura, the kiddos have won three in a row and have gotten better in each passing week. And this year, there is no World Cup training camp to rob them of half their starting line-up.

There are very few if any reliable axioms in Mexican futbol, but one does seem to pass the smell test on a regular basis: hot teams going into the liguilla tend to do very well. No team has been hotter than these young Chivas. They are positioning themselves as the angry hornet’s nest of the liguilla. Pity the team that kicks it first.

As for Club America, it’s hard to have any kind of realistic expectation for post-season success with a defense as leaky as theirs. It’s no wonder Memo Ochoa has been in a slump with the less than pedestrian efforts his defenders have been turning in this year.

But tonight is Guadalajara’s night. Mariachis even came out to put a cherry on an unforgettable night for Chivas and their millions of fans. What did they sing? What else? Guadalajara.